Horizon Forbidden West: Every Legendary Weapon, Ranked
There are plenty of weapons Horizon Forbidden West has to offer, but the nine legendary weapons are the best and are all extremely powerful. These weapons are not only game-changers but are versatile and flexible, adapting to the various combat situations the player will come across. Obtaining these weapons is relatively straightforward, albeit time-consuming, requiring the player to finish multiple tasks and quests across the Forbidden West. This is in addition to the amount of time spent getting the resources to upgrade the legendary weapons to their fullest and most deadly potential.
[Warning: possible spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West below.]
Horizon Zero Dawn's weapon system was pretty straightforward compared to Horizon Forbidden West's new weapon mechanics. Each weapon was categorized through color: basic was green, Carja was blue, and shadow was purple, the rarest and most highly sought-after type of weapon. The new game+ update and The Frozen Wilds DLC expanded on the arsenal of weapons, adding new variants and rarities. However, while Zero Dawn's approach to weapons was easy to grasp, each weapon not only lacked uniqueness compared to weapons of the same type, but the playstyles became similar by the endgame.
Horizon Forbidden West not only streamlines the weapons from Horizon Zero Dawn but expands on them, allowing for more playstyle experimentation. As a result, each weapon feels much more unique and less constraining, with players encouraged to have loadouts and builds depending on the situation. All weapons have their own unique benefits, but there are certain few legendary weapons in Horizon Forbidden West that stand out over the others.
The Tinker's Pride is for players who love setting up traps and funneling enemies into designated kill zones in Horizon Forbidden West. The weapon is armed with staggerbeams that inflict damage over time, shieldwires that deploy a protective barrier, and explosive tripwires that inflict massive damage and stagger even the largest of machines. However, the downside with The Tinker's Pride is that the damage output is a bit sporadic, which can make for some unpredictable encounters with the machine and human enemies players encounter.
Not only do the explosive tripwires need to be reset, but when facing Horizon Forbidden West's new and more aggressive machines, constant movement is crucial, and the shieldwires force the player to be stationary. Moreover, staggerbeams limit the tactical options during a fight, working best when paired with a weapon that can slow a machine like a ropecaster or a weapon with adhesive damage. To obtain the Tinker's Pride, players will have to find and complete all 12 hunting ground trials littered across Horizon Forbidden West and earn the highest rating.
Out of the two legendary hunter bows in Horizon Forbidden West, The Sun Scourge's main difference is its focus on applying fire, frost, and acid status effects. While the weapon applies a large amount of elemental damage, it has a relatively slow reload speed. The weapon also leaves gaps in the player's damage per second, potentially opening them for a counterattack.
There are better weapons and traps in Horizon Forbidden West that apply elemental damage quicker and have a higher reload speed. Also, upgrading The Sun Scourge would take a fair amount of time, lessening its practicality. Players need to complete the side quest unlocked after clearing out the five big rebel camps found across the Forbidden West to attain The Sun Scourge.
The Carja's Bane leans on the close quarters focused builds of Horizon Forbidden West, allowing players to dish out quick impact, tear, and fire damage before entering melee range. While its DPS is one of the highest, it has limited range and is more suited for smaller machines or humans than the massive hulking combat machines. The Carja's Bane is acquired after winning the four gauntlet runs, Forbidden West's version of races.
Among the improvements Horizon Forbidden West made from Aloy's spear to the gear system, introducing the shredder gauntlet weapon type is one of the best. The Ancestor's Return may seem like a traditional shredder gauntlet sticking and spinning on an enemy doing considerable damage before returning. Moreover, being a legendary weapon, it applies large amounts of acid and shock status effects while causing a big chunk of impact damage. However, like all shredder gauntlets, the downside is that the player needs to be proactive in using the Ancestor's Return to do the maximum damage.
When ammo returns to the player, it stacks three times, creating an explosive charge when fired on the fourth. It's a clever feature that exemplifies the improvements made to Horizon Forbidden West's weapons, but it isn't without flaws. The ammo doesn't always return directly, forcing the player to chase or dive for it. This sudden repositioning could leave the player in the wrong spot or lead to accidents like lunging into a wall to catch the ammo while dodging an attack. The Ancestor's Return is unlocked after finding all nine relic ruins in Horizon Forbidden West and returning the ornaments to the Hidden Ember settlement.
The Blast Forge is the go-to weapon when armor becomes too much of an obstacle in Horizon Forbidden West. While the weapon sports both advanced and piercing bolts, the actual damage of The Blast Forge comes in using its explosive bolts that have a higher chance of staggering machines while melting the bigger machines like the Grimhorn in Horizon Forbidden West. While it has better handling than most boltblasters in the game, it's still very slow and cumbersome, especially when switching to different ammo types. The Blast Forge can be found in The Maw of the Arena for 80 arena medals.
The Forgefall not only has one of the highest tear and impact damage stats in Horizon Forbidden West, but the weapon can apply massive amounts of plasma damage. Moreover, when paired with the proper mods and valor surge, the Forgefall can surpass its already beefy damage numbers. The tradeoff, however, is that the weapon has a minimal ammo count with only four tear/impact arrows and 20 plasma arrows split into two kinds of ammo groups.
As a result, the Forgefall is an excellent weapon to start a fight but is at a disadvantage in more prolonged, close-quarter battles with machines like Horizon Forbidden West's Slitherfang. Moreover, its low ammo count outweighs its viability in high mobile engagements against machines like the Scorcher. The Forgefall is purchased through the arena at The Maw of the Arena for 80 medals.
The Skykiller deals massive amounts of explosive and fire damage that can stagger the most armored enemies. However, unlike other explosive legendary weapons, The Skykiller is very niche and best used on the bigger enemies to make its high ammo cost worthwhile. The Skykiller is unlocked through the side quest named, The Way Home, which appears towards the end of Horizon Forbidden West.
The Wings of the Ten is one of the most simplistically devastating weapons in Horizon Forbidden West. Along with two kinds of explosive ammo with varying levels of damage, it also comes with adhesive ammo that slows machines to a crawl. Moreover, when combined with some of Horizon Forbidden West's valor surges, the weapon becomes much more adaptable and flexible to every combat situation. To own the Wings of the Ten, the player must find all twelve black boxes scattered throughout the Forbidden West and turn them into Untalla in The Memorial Grove.
Tailored for mid-long-range combat, The Death-Seeker's Shadow not only applies massive amounts of shock damage that stuns enemies, but it has the highest tear stats in Horizon Forbidden West, easily surpassing both the Forgefall and Carja's Bane. Moreover, the Death-Seeker's Shadow has targeting arrows that guide overridden machines in attacking specific targets. This makes each fight much more effortless and takes full advantage of Horizon Forbidden West's improved AI. Extraordinarily versatile and devastating, the Death-Seeker's Shadow is a must-have for any hunter's kit, costing 80 medals at The Maw of the Arena.
Horizon Forbidden West's legendary weapons expand on Horizon Zero Dawn's arsenal and create a more nuanced gameplay loop. This effectively allows players to experiment with various playstyles and builds, making the game feel more dynamic and responsive. Moreover, unlike other games with one-of-a-kind weapons, obtaining these legendary weapons not only boosts the damage potential of players but are tied back into the lore and narrative of the game. The legendary weapons are much more than tools in Horizon Forbidden West - they flesh out the world and gameplay while pushing players to be the best hunters possible.